


Shipwrecked

by paintedladys



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Slow Burn, Which isn't saying much, basically an ''Aang never wakes up'' scenario, but hes a bit more resigned, more like Enemies to Friends to Mutual Pining, so we are back to angsty ponytail zuko, when i say slow burn i mean slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedladys/pseuds/paintedladys
Summary: The Earth Kingdom is aflame. A small Fire Nation crew is castaway in the desert tundra. A young Water Tribe leader tries to keep her village safe under foreign occupation. And underneath the arctic sea, an Avatar sleeps.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & Zuko's Crew (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	1. Prologue

The Fire Nation has a complicated relationship with the sea. Being a state composed of several islands made them naturally seafaring people. This also consequently made the Fire Nation’s navy the best in the world. However, the country was susceptible to the onslaught of typhoons and tsunamis. People’s lives were often devastated by the ocean’s apathetic cruelty by destroying their assets, overturning their livelihoods, and killing their loved ones. Some Fire Nation citizens have a fearful reverence for the ocean, others just hold resentment. 

When Prince Zuko was a child, he took neither of these positions. He would often dispute the claim that the ocean was inherently cruel, which was met with chuckles from experienced naval officers that knew better. But to the young prince, the ocean was simply an escape from the strict palace. Going to the beach with his loving family encompassed the best parts of his life. The rolling waves were meditative and consistent; he took comfort on the shoreline, embracing its predictability. Zuko was privileged enough to not have experienced the harsher aspects of the sea.

It was only after he was banished did he learn of the sea’s rage. He soon realized that the calm rolling waves of his childhood were simply an illusion of the ocean's true nature. There is a saying in the Fire Nation Navy: _the ocean cannot be compromised with_. That was something Zuko could easily agree with. His years of travel on the open sea were anything but peaceful. Tragedy always seemed to make an appearance when the ocean was involved, so misfortune came as no surprise. 

The worst possible sound on a ship is that of a broken pressure valve. The high pitch operatic screaming of an unidentified pipe is a prophecy of doom. So when it became clear that the _Wani's_ engine was about to combust, the engineer took off running, managing to do what so little others have been able to do: escape an exploding engine room alive. The explosion caused smoke to permeate throughout the lower decks of the ship. The entire crew was evacuated from their quarters and were huddled together on the deck. It was early morning and the temperature was insufferable. A few men were mildly injured and were receiving treatment, including the engineer. The ship was locked in place by the anchors, so the current couldn’t have its way with the small vessel. Around them, billowing glaciers drifted along the water. 

Zuko never wanted to be in the South Pole in the first place. The dark cold arctic was intolerable and he hated every single second of its bite. However, the political situation up north in the Earth Kingdom made it extremely difficult to Avatar hunt. The Fire Nation military was trying to solidify their control over the chaos, causing even stronger tensions among the civilian population. No Earth Kingdom national wanted to talk to him, especially after Father's brutal military strike. It was clear that the Earth Kingdom was far too unstable to effectively accomplish his mission. Uncle Iroh was the one who suggested the arctic expedition, and Zuko was stupid enough to accept it.

So that is why he was here, glaring at his uncle, who was trying to make light of the situation. "This is not the end of the world, Prince Zuko." 

Zuko’s nose flared. “What’s the use of a ship that cannot move!” he shouted. 

Like always, Uncle Iroh looked unfazed. “There are far worse things that have happened at sea, Prince Zuko.” 

Uncle was never a navy officer. He occupied most of his career in the army, so he didn’t know not to tempt the ocean like that. As if on cue, an iceberg began making its way towards them. Zuko loudly cursed and demanded that someone do something. However, his useless crew simply moved the furthest away from the impending iceberg and towards the forward of the ship.

The scraping of metal caused Zuko to cringe. Everyone passively watched as the iceberg dug its way through the exterior of the hull. There was no doubt that there was severe structural damage now. It is a universally horrifying experience watching your ship break, but it was even worse knowing that he was stuck in the middle of an arctic wasteland with no civilization in sight.

Suddenly, the iceberg stopped its havoc after destroying a hefty proportion of the stern. “Well, at least the ship didn’t sink,” Uncle said, after a long moment of horrified silence.

Zuko huffed out an angry flame from his mouth. “Well, tell me, Uncle, if this situation isn’t so dire… what are we to do?” Zuko demanded, not even trying to keep his voice down.

Uncle Iroh didn’t seem to have an answer. However, behind him, Lt. Jee cleared his throat, holding a telescope in his hands. “Well, sirs, we could find the source of the smokestacks.” The lieutenant pointed to a bit of land east of their location. It took a bit of squinting but Zuko saw the faint outline of smoke. 

“Yes,” Uncle said, “I am almost certain that is a village. Fire doesn't burn on its own here.”

Lt. Jee nodded. “Hopefully, it is occupied territory. Otherwise, we might be facing hostile barbarians.”

Iroh hummed. “Either way, it is our best bet to at least find out if they are helpful.” 

And from there, a small exploration operation manifested. The crew somehow managed to push aside enough debris to get through the lower decks and make it to the, thankfully, unharmed steamer. A small team was assembled which included Zuko, Uncle, and three crewmen to search out for human civilization. 

The steamer tugged along, making its way along the icy coastline. It was noon by the time they reached the source of the smokestacks. It was a small, though recently occupied Water Tribe village directly off the coast. A Fire Nation banner hung from the flimsy outer wall. High up on the hill overlooking the village was a small military outpost composed of three buildings. They were extremely lucky. Luck wasn't something Zuko was used to experiencing. The Fire Nation really only had control of a few villages throughout the South, its primary focus was on the Earth Kingdom. 

Uncle decided it was best that he and Zuko alone be the first to scope the village so not to overwhelm the natives, leaving behind their skeleton crew. Zuko tentatively agreed. Outside the walls was a middle-aged tribeswoman with a basket on her hip. She wearily watched them exit the steamer.

“Good day.” Uncle Iroh approached the woman with a cheerful smile (as if it would help with any underlying resentment). The woman’s face transformed into something that looked like a pigeon-deer ready to run. “We are in a bit of a predicament right now,’ Uncle began, “and-”

The woman held up her gloved hand, cutting him off. “I understand. I will get one of your own kind,” she said, before retreating towards the hill. She was a bit rude, but so was every other native they talked with. His father believed that the world was destined to bow to the Fire Nation. Ozai may have taken over most of the world, but Zuko wasn’t an idiot; he knew that no one was bowing on their own free will.

Uncle walked through the pitiful arch, with Zuko slowly making his way behind him. Upon entering the village, a sea of blue eyes scrutinized them. The people were composed of women and children, with not a grown man in sight. It didn’t take much to know where the men were. Over the years in the Fire Nation Navy, Zuko understood how imperative it was to avoid the covert Southern fleet. 

An older man in a stylish red coat approached them. He had a clean beard and a strong military composure. After glancing at Uncle Iroh, and recognizing who they were, he went into a deep bow. “General,” he said before he straightened upright again. “I am Governor Ryuu of the Yamamoto family.” It didn’t take long for Zuko to realize when he was being ignored.

“Pleasure to meet you, Governor Ryuu,” Uncle said, kindly.

“I am pleasantly surprised by your appearance down here,” Ryuu said. There was a hidden question underneath his remark. Zuko wondered why people couldn’t just be honest with their intentions. Beating around the bush was an utter waste of time.

“We seemed to have marooned ourselves in one of the South’s mighty glaciers,” Uncle Iroh said with a frown, “one must never underestimate the power of ice.”

“Yes, it is very brutal,” the governor hummed in agreement. “Please come to my home, it is a much warmer place to talk,” he invited, casting a glance at the civilians watching the scene with whispered fascination, “and private too.”

Heads began peeking out of huts, and the crowd was getting bigger. He and his Uncle’s presence was perhaps the most exciting thing the village has seen in months, but Zuko hated being a spectacle. 

“That would be wonderful,” Uncle Iroh said. 

The governor smiled. “Of course, and perhaps a cup of tea?” Everyone seemed to know of his uncle’s unfortunate obsession. 

“Do you, by chance, have any Jasmine?” Uncle asked, “we had run out two weeks ago, and I have been craving it for a while."

“Of course, General,” the governor said, leading the way up towards the outpost, leaving the murmuring crowd of blue behind. None of them looked too pleased with their presence in the village; at least he could empathize with the sentiment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to post the next chapter within the next few days. I was going to provide an extremely long first chapter, but after looking at the word count I realized that it would quite overwhelming for everyone (especially myself). So I broke it up and decided to give a bite-sized prologue.


	2. Unexpected Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most young women would be honored to share a meal with two royal princes, but for Katara, it only brings a tight pit in her stomach. Katara doesn't know how to feel about Prince Iroh... but she definitely knows how to feel about Prince Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was published a bit later than when I intended. Zoom University is going to kill me, I swear to God.

Katara felt more and more isolated as she continued to walk up the rugged terrain towards the governor's house. She had been ordered to make an appearance with the tribe’s logbooks. Everyone was well aware of the marooned Fire Nation vessel mere miles outside their village, and no one was happy about what was inevitably going to happen. If this Fire Nation vessel was interested in their resources, it meant that they were looking to steal them.

Katara stared out at her village below her. The children were all kept inside by their mothers. A few women were scattered about doing various chores with a sense of urgency. The setting sun made the village sparkle; Katara couldn’t help but mourn how the serenity was wasted on such a day. 

She barely knocked when the wooden door lurched open. Yellow eyes that were so characteristically Fire Nation stared down at her. Yellow teeth glistened through the grimace that came with it.

“Governor Ryuu,” Katara addressed. She refused to give a bow, let alone nod her head. The governor that was assigned to rule over her village was a stuffy old man who liked everything his way. He didn’t respect her, so, therefore, she didn’t respect him. Perhaps this was the last form of resistance she had left in her. 

“You’re late,” he stated without sympathy. 

Katara bit the inside of her lip. “In order to gather the logbooks and I had to ask permission of the council-”

“I do not care about your tribal affairs,” he spat. Katara often brushed aside the insult against her tribe’s intricate society. “You people need to arrive on time. I am running low on patience. The lack of punctuality around here almost makes me impressed that even a primitive civilization could function.”

Katara rolled her jaw. Oh, how she hated his drivel. Everyone knows that one hour doesn't make much of a difference with matters outside of the tides.

“Are you listening, Katara?”

Katara wanted to throw the logbook at him and leave. “With unbridled fascination,” she said flatly.

Ryuu scoffed at her sarcasm. “Come inside now. I don’t want the arctic indoors too.”

Katara stepped inside the small antechamber. The governor gave Katara a poignant look to remove her boots. She sighed and followed suit, knowing very well that her feet would inevitably get cold. It is smart not to insult Fire Nation sensibilities, even if the logic behind their customs was clearly fallible. Katara felt the lush carpet underneath her feet; it was a strange sensation that she was not quite used to. Ryuu then gestured to the coat rack. Katara furrowed her brow, slightly confused. “I am not going to be staying long, am I?”

“I’m afraid so,” Ryuu mumbled. “I would be very happy to send you on your merry way, though your presence here was requested by our esteemed guest.”

The thought of some Fire Nation official wishing to speak with her put a pit in her stomach. “Why would they want me?” Katara tried desperately to bury her panic. 

The governor shrugged as he closed the door, “I warned General Iroh of your abrasiveness, however, he seemed to still want you here.”

The name was more than familiar. The village elders had said something about a general during the emergency meeting, but they didn’t know specifics. “General Iroh? The Dragon of the West?” Katara felt her skin crawl. As a child, she had heard about the frontlines from the warriors. Her father told stories about the fearsome royal general who rampaged through the Northern Earth Kingdom and ravaged the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. 

Ryuu frowned. “Now you must realize the importance of being punctual.”

“How did the Dragon of the West manage to crash his ship in these waters?” Katara wondered aloud.

The governor grabbed her by her shoulders and leaned in close to her ear. “I suggest you keep such comments to yourself,” Ryuu scolded. ”Behave yourself. May I remind you that our guests are of the royal family, who both have far greater power than I,” he whispered harshly.

“You mean there is more than one?” Katara asked quietly, her fear spiking once again.

He released her.“Take off your coat. It’s filthy. I can’t have you looking like you’ve just crawled out of an ice cave.”

Katara remained silent as she took her time disrobing. She was in no hurry to meet the princes of the Fire Nation. Ryuu quickly snatched her parka as soon as she removed it, and hung it on the coat rack. 

Ryuu led her through his house, his hand pushing her along when he deemed her pace to be too slow. Katara quickly took in her environment. She had only been inside Ryuu’s house a few times, albeit during its initial construction. This was her first time within the house since its completion. 

The decor was designed to be cozy with couches, carpets, blankets, and a roaring fireplace. Though Katara felt no comfort in the governor’s house. The abundance of red was very overwhelming, and there was one national flag in every room she saw. Upon the walls of his hallway were medals of military prestige. Katara was aware that the governor was at one point a successful lieutenant commander of one of the Southern Raider sub-divisions. Ryuu often bragged about being familiar with the land as well as the people of her tribe, which was probably what got him into his current position. However, seeing his military accomplishments etched in gold made her skin crawl. 

They turned toward a moderate dining room, and Katara clutched her bag with anticipation. Inside the room sat two men, their ages and appearance drastically distinctive from each other. The older man was obviously the age of the Dragon of the West… however didn’t quite fit the image she had constructed in her head. He was plump with rosy cheeks and eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light. Upon entering through the doorway, the elder smiled at her. It was hard to picture him being the top military leader of the Fire Nation army. 

The most noticeable feature on the younger man was the harsh red scar on the left side of his face. It made him have a permanent scowl… not that he didn’t need any help with that. The prince looked like he hadn’t seen a happy day in years. His golden eyes stared at her with suspicion.

Katara felt a shove between her shoulder blades that almost caused her to fall to her knees, though she caught herself in the last moment. She was ready to turn around to hiss curses at Ryuu, but she felt Ryuu’s hand latch onto her braid, pulling her towards him. “Kowtow,” he whispered. 

She was flushed with embarrassment. The last thing she wanted to do was prostrate herself on the ground in front of an old military official; she already did enough of that for one lifetime. She grunted and tried to pry his hands off of her. 

“Governor please,” the General Iroh said, rising from his seat. “There is no need. It would be rude as a guest to expect our hostess to conform to our ways.”

Katara was suddenly struck by confusion. As she felt Ryuu release her, she let out a sigh of relief. She hated being manhandled. 

“My apologies. I didn’t want this to be our introduction,” the old general said with a reassuring smile. “My name is Iroh,” he said, holding his hand out in front of him. 

Katara stared at the outreached hand. Her mind raced with the possibilities of what such a gesture might mean. 

“I’m sorry,” the old general said, “it was my assumption that the Southern Water Tribe didn’t typically bow.”

“Oh!” Katara quickly reached out and grasped his forearm, and shook it in the traditional Southern fashion. A small smile escaped her lips. She had never imagined herself introducing herself this way with anyone from the Fire Nation, let alone a prince! “I am Katara," she introduced.

“Well it is surely a pleasure to meet you Katara of the Southern Water Tribe,” he said with a laugh. It was hearty and had no trace of cruelty. He gestured toward the table where the younger man was sitting. “This is my nephew, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

The prince didn’t make any move to introduce himself. His eyes simply shifted to the side, avoiding her gaze. “I am assuming you brought the information concerning the village's assets?” The broken raspy voice that came out of his mouth was a stark contrast to his uncle. 

Katara held up the bag containing the logbooks. “They are right here.”

He gave her a strange look. “I hope they are legible and accurate.”

Katara sniffed. “I wrote them myself.”

“That doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they are legible and accurate.”

Katara decided that she did not like the younger prince at all. He had an air of arrogance that smelled up the entire room. She opened up her bag and plopped her logs onto the table. “Read them and see if they are to your fitting,” she snarked. 

“Katara-” she heard Ryuu give a warning. 

Sensing the tension, Iroh stepped in. “I am sure they are fine, Miss Katara,” he said as he placed a gentle hand on her upper arm. “We didn’t call you here to simply fulfill an errand. You are here because we are in dire need of your expertise.”

Katara’s eyes narrowed. “Expertise?”

Iroh gestured towards the table, and Katara let herself be guided into the chair. “Yes, expertise,” Iroh said as he took a seat across from her. He waved a hand towards Ryuu, “Governor, when you retrieve the replacement pot of Jasmine, make sure to bring an extra teacup for Miss Katara.”

Ryuu took the hint and quickly left for the kitchen. She was relieved to have the governor gone, however uneasy about where this conversation was leading.  
“You, my dear, are the leader of your people,” Iroh stated. 

Katara felt her heart quicken. What did they want from her? “The title of Matriarch belongs to my grandmother.”

Iroh nodded. “But from what I have been told your grandmother is very sick, and you are functioning as the leader.”

“I am simply… _substituting_ for my grandmother,” she said quickly, her eyes avoided the old general’s pitying look, “that is… until she gets better.” Her grandmother’s health had been deteriorating steadily for years now. She had prayed to the Great Spirits for recovery, and yet there was no sign of any improvement. A small part of her realized that Gran-Gran might not live for much longer, but the idea of being without the guidance of her grandmother often caused her to panic. She consciously decided that it was best to avoid such negative thinking.

“Of course, child,” Iroh said, smiling, as if he could read her doubtful thoughts. 

Katara stared at the general and tilted her head slightly. “Why does this matter anyway?” she asked.

“We have run into some difficulties…pertaining to the ship’s breakdown,” Iroh said.

Katara furrowed her brows. “What happened?”

The younger prince huffed. “The main engine has completely collapsed. Apparently, the last dock decided to cut corners when repairing my ship.” His nostrils flared with anger. “No respect for me...” Zuko mumbled as he went to grab one of her logbooks from the table, “...no respect for my crew."

“So what does that mean?” Katara said.

Iroh sighed. “It means that we have a little predicament.”

Zuko clenched his jaw as he flipped through her logbook. “It turns out my crew will be stranded on your dreadful ice cube for longer than expected.”

Katara’s throat tightened. “For how long?”

The old general sighed. “Indefinitely... perhaps an entire season,” Iroh said reluctantly, obviously not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. “It will take some time for our message to be received. Our ship is old, and a lot of the damaged parts are obsolete and require special ordering. It will be quite a while for a repair team to be able to travel to our location. Especially with winter closing in.”

Great. More Fire Nation men to deal with. Like Katara needed more of that in her life. “Oh. That’s…” she mumbled, trying hard to comprehend the situation, “...not good.”

Iroh gave her a pitying smile. “Unfortunately the ship’s facilities and supplies are insufficient for a crew our size for such a long time. We were hoping to share resources with your village and then compensate you later.”

“How many men are on your ship?” Katara wearily asked. She was not happy about the concept of _sharing_ what little resources they had.

“Twenty-eight,” Iroh answered. “Oh and one woman,” he added. 

Katara tried to reassure herself that everything was going to work out alright but her gut disagreed. “This is a lot,” she said, quietly. 

“Miss Katara,” Iroh said apologetically, “It hurts me to be a burden on your people. I wish we had met under better circumstances.”

Katara nodded, not really listening to his sympathy. Her mind was racing with questions about her people’s immediate future. 

“Uncle, there is no way we could survive off of what the peasants have!” the young prince groaned as he pointed at the clearly offensive logbook. “They can barely live off of what they have.”

She did not need that reminder. “We didn’t expect more of your kind to come in demanding that we provide you!” Katara spat with anger. “We barely make it through the winter because our men are fighting in your damn war!”

The young prince furrowed his single brow. “Where are your food rations that the Fire Nation government provides?” Zuko demanded.

What was he talking about? “I don’t know, Your Highness,” she growled, “I would assume the prince of the Fire Nation might know where these mysterious rations are!”

Katara couldn’t tell in her fit of rage, but it appeared that the prince had a moment of confusion flash across his face. “By the looks of it, your people clearly don’t know how to live on your own! It’s only logical that you would be given rations.”

Tears gathered in her eyes, as they often did when she was infuriated. “You people wouldn’t care if our race was wiped from the face of the planet!” She pounded her shaking fists on the table. “We are doing our best to survive despite the circumstances. Circumstances the Fire Nation certainly played a role in creating!”

“Katara, I told you to behave yourself!” Katara heard Governor Ryuu shout from the doorway. She turned to find him carrying a tea tray, his face screwed with anger.  
Zuko huffed and directed his next remark to the governor: “She really is quite abrasive.”

Katara wanted to strangle the young prince. “And you aren’t?”

Iroh laid a gentle hand on one of her fists. “Governor,” Iroh said, his voice calm and intently, “we had simply told Katara about the situation at hand. She is obviously anxious about what the future holds.” He gave her a smile. “And can you truly blame her?”

The governor glared at her.“If she is noncompliant, I can certainly make her listen.” Ryuu laid down his not-so-subtle threat with ease. He had only publicly whipped her once, but that wasn’t his only form of punishment. 

“That will not be necessary.” Iroh must have felt her body tense and gave her fist a gentle reassuring squeeze. “I think that after a cup of hot tea would make everyone much calmer.” He released her hand. “And maybe afterward a nice warm meal as we discuss a solid plan for these next few months.”

The room was quiet for a few moments as the tea was poured by Iroh. “It is quite fortunate that you had jasmine,” Iroh praised, “truly there are blessings in every situation.”

Katara had tea a few times in her life, and the memories associated with it weren’t pleasant. The tea of the Southern Water Tribe was purely medicinal… and lacked any real flavor. The Fire Nation teas she had before tasted bitter on her tongue. She brought the cup to her lips and faked a sip. 

The young prince barely glanced at the tea as he flipped through her logbooks once again. His face contorted as he read. “Governor, why are the villagers not given rations?”  
Ryuu frowned. “I requested supplementary rations a few months ago, however, since the colony is non-essential, the Southern Division denied the request.”

“Non-essential…” Katara mumbled, insulted. 

“All that means is that your village doesn’t provide any resources for the Fire Nation military-industrial complex,” Iroh explained.

She huffed. “Oh, that makes me feel better about the whole thing.”

Zuko frowned. “The tribe has been able to provide for itself for generations. What has changed?”

She answered before Ryuu could have the chance. “With the men gone, we haven’t been very productive with hunting. Only a few of us tribeswomen manage to have the skill. Due to the weather, we have only been able to go out for shorter periods of time. That’s why our supplies are meager,” Katara admitted before turning her attention to Ryuu. “If we were able to trade…”

“Hush, girl,” Ryuu challenged. “Trading will not happen unless all the Southern villages are fully compliant to the conditions described in the surrender agreement.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “You won’t be the one starving.”

Iroh gave a disapproving look at Ryuu. “I agree with Miss Katara, perhaps under this specific circumstance, you could lift the blockade.”

“That is not up to me General Iroh,” Ryuu stated. “That was the decision made by those of much higher authority.”

Prince Zuko looked annoyed. “So you just don’t have the backbone to ask permission.”

“Prince Zuko you are aware of the political implications of this tribe, correct?” Ryuu asked patronizingly. Prince Zuko frowned and the governor went on. “This tribe has long been affiliated with rebel pirates, to simply allow them the privileges of Fire Nation support without first putting them in their place would be foolish.”

“Oh yeah,” Katara drawled, “because a bunch of elderly, women, and children provide such a threat.”

“No. But their husbands and fathers do,” Ryuu retorted. 

Katara sighed. Ryuu had it in his head that their tribe was in communication with the warriors. He continuously demanded that she call off her father's rebellion. Even if she did have a way to send letters to her father, she wouldn’t dare ask him to incriminate himself. 

“Governor, I understand the political strategy,” Iroh said, “I will personally contact Colonel Xuo to specifically request rations to be brought to our location.”  
Ryuu sighed. “Even if he said yes, it will be weeks until they arrive.”

“Perhaps our men could assist your people with the hunting,” Iroh suggested, nodding at Katara.

Katara snorted. “You people don’t know how to hunt.”

“That’s not entirely true. I was once a fairly proactive sportsman myself.” Iroh hummed. “Perhaps with proper training our men could go along with you.”

“I’d rather starve,” Katara stated, deadpanned. She did not want to spend hours upon hours with a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers alone with two other women.

“Katara, behave yourself this instant.” Oh, how she hated Ryuu. “Be grateful.”

“I will not be in charge of babysitting Fire Nation soldiers, making sure they don't accidentally kill themselves or each other in the arctic desert,” Katara explained, exasperated.

General Iroh smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Prince Zuko will be doing the babysitting.”

Prince Zuko coughed at the General’s phrasing. “Uncle?”

Katara gave a fake smile. “No thanks.”

“Katara is grateful for your help and she will be taking your men on the hunting trip scheduled in five days' time,” Ryuu said, looking at her poignantly. He grabbed one of her logbooks on the table and held it up. “Until this fills up, she will appreciate assistance from the crew of the Wani.”

“More hunters aren’t the solution,” Katara said, “untrained hunters are actually more of a hassle. Taking a bunch of our eight-year-olds on the hunting trip would be more efficient than this.” Even if they would occasionally whap each other with the blunt end of spears. 

“Then you will train these soldiers,” Ryuu said.

“Arctic hunting is a skill that takes years of training,” Katara said. “We don’t have years.”

“We don’t have a month’s worth of food, peasant,” Prince Zuko stated. His raspy voice was so grating. “We are offering you assistance.”

Katara sighed. “Fine. Kill yourselves out there for all I care. Just don’t blame me for the hypothermia.”

Zuko huffed. “It’s not like I wanted to end up on your stupid ice cube.” He leaned back in his chair. “None of us wanted to live in your pitiful village for an entire season and freeze to death.”

Katara frowned. “Well then let’s all just keep our respective distance then and just pray we all survive.”

A silence fell across the table as if the words she said froze time.

Finally, Prince Iroh coughed the silence away. “Well, Miss Katara,” he said “that may not be possible. You see, the soldiers need a place to sleep.”

Katara stared at Ryuu. “There isn’t enough room in the barracks?” 

Ryuu frowned. “The barracks are still incomplete, and with winter closing in, I fear there may not be time to finish them. Therefore we will have to do what is necessary.”

Katara felt her face redden with anger. “Are you suggesting that they will have to live in our homes?”

“Primitive as your huts may be, these men need something over their heads and a place to stay warm,” Ryuu said disparagingly.

“Our homes are sacred places. They are safe havens for our women and children. And you wish to take this one last thing away from us?” Katara felt nausea rise in her throat. There was a village a few miles inland that has an entire generation of children with golden eyes, as a result of a long-lasting raid years ago.

“All subjects of the Fire Nation are legally required to house any military personnel.”

“I’ve read the law several times, Governor,” Katara spat. She had to repeatedly demand a copy of _Azulon’s Legal Codices for Occupied Territories_ until Ryuu finally succumbed to her pestering. She had poured days into looking over the contents of the book, piecing together her village’s legal rights. It was heartbreaking, however unsurprising, that out of hundreds of laws, only a handful even addressed the rights of native populations. Most of the laws pertained to the legal privileges of the occupiers.

There was a distant ding from a timer. “Then you should see the necessity of such a move,” Ryuu stated as he stood up. He bowed his head at the princes.“If you would excuse me, dinner is almost ready.”

Iroh waved him off. As soon as he left the room, he spoke again to her as if he “Miss Katara, can you think of another solution that would help supplement men living in your homes?”

Katara thought for a moment. “The Great Hut could house a lot of people at once. Though not everyone. Perhaps about ten?” she said. 

“I know you are worried about men behaving dishonorably. I have the records of every single member of the ship and I will make sure only those whom I trust will house with your people. Everyone else can stay in the Great Hut.”

“Once the winds start picking up, my people can start building igloos for your men,” Katara explained. Settled snow was hard to construct with. Years ago, Sokka explained it had something to do with the structural integrity of the ice, not that she cared too deeply about the engineering components of snow at the time. Her heart ached at the thought of her brother.

“You have a good head on your shoulder’s Miss Katara. I knew there was nothing to worry about,” he said cheerfully. 

Katara gave him an exhausted look. There was plenty to worry about over the next few months. 

Ryuu entered the room with a tray full of food. A bowl of some kind of noodle soup was presented before her. On top of the soup was a couple of dumplings. Katara carefully picked up the chopsticks, trying to remember how her grandmother had taught her as a child. Gran-Gran had insisted that she’d be taught Earth Kingdom customs. Every woman in the South Pole knew that there was no future for them outside the South Pole; only the men ever got to leave. But her grandmother truly believed that Katara would voyage beyond the arctic circle.

Iroh gave his praises to Ryuu’s cooking before digging in. Katara’s appetite was nonexistent even though she had barely eaten today. Instead, her belly was full of dread of what was to come. But she succumbed to eating a dumpling out of her bowl and a sip of the broth. The younger prince didn’t seem to want to eat either, poking his bowl with his chopsticks. He caught her staring at him, and gave her a sour look back. 

The rest of the evening was spent planning out the specificities. Unsurprisingly, Fire Nation soldiers were quite needy; especially their spoiled prince who clearly had never spent a day in his life without every whim of his being met. They compared assets as well as made hypothetical solutions to their inevitable problems. The Dragon of the West made sure that her voice was heard, much to the displeasure of Ryuu. 

It was several hours past nightfall and Katara felt herself wearing down. There was an element of posturing that was required when interacting with Fire Nation people. Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t take her seriously. And it was quite draining to constantly put on a facade. Katara failed to suppress a yawn, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the governor who decided to cut their meeting short. He insisted that it was necessary for her to go home and rest. Katara suspected it was a way of getting her out of the way, but she didn’t challenge him on that.

The older prince wished her a kind farewell along with a promise to bring her a gift for her hospitality. That gave Governor Ryuu a frown. There was some sort of unspoken tension between the two of them that Katara couldn’t quite understand. Fire Nation politics was always elusive to her. After the old general insisted that Katara carry a lantern back with her to her home, she finally was able to leave.

It was the dead of night and the village was still. The communal fire only had but a few embers left. Everyone had gone to sleep. The only sound was the waves lapping along the edge of the coastline. It was eerie walking through the village without a person in sight. 

As she pulled the flap aside to enter into her hut, she choked out a sob she had been holding in. It sometimes felt like the weight of the world was on her back, and there was no one there to relieve her burdens. She wished she wasn’t so alone. Especially in times like these.

She moved her furs next to her sleeping grandmother and huddled under the covers. She wrapped her arms around the older woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Gran-Gran stirred in her sleep and released a ragged sigh. Katara burrowed her head in the nook of her grandmother’s shoulder and cried. She felt a fragile hand caress her cheek, brushing away her tears. Her sobbing became hiccups and she eventually lulled to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU has been growing in my head since the results of the 2016 election. I daydreamed this "Ozai Wins" scenario as a way of coping with my reality. I was really struggling at the time with feelings of hopelessness and fear. Originally this daydream AU was quite pessimistic and depressing. However, over time, I became more hopeful after I realized that the international rise of the far-right isn't actually the "end of the world." People still sing. People still fight. People still fall in love. Even though there is real and genuine suffering, there is still great light. I want this fic to be about the resilience of love in the darkness. 
> 
> Sorry for that soppy mess. For anyone who is nervous about Sokka, please know I wouldn't kill off my boy!


End file.
